Marina

The Fairy Tomes of Cerulean Cove, Book I

by Ann Sepino
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 Copyright
Copyright © 2022 Ann Sepino

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This is a work of fiction. Characters, places,

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 Chapter I
The sight in front of her was one of the most
intimidating things Marina had ever seen.
She was floating before the open remains of a
large clamshell, one perched atop a stone pillar in
the middle of an underwater cavern. Around her,
luminescent algae glowed and faded like the stars of
the night sky. Cold currents swept in and out of the
crevices in the walls, bringing with them the
haunting sounds of the watery deep.
She would have swum out of the cavern already if
not for her desire to talk to the sorceress.
Said sorceress lounged in the clamshell, eel-like
tail curled tightly. The algae’s faint light illuminated
her dark hair and knowing gaze. “I've seen that look
in your eyes before, child.”
“So, you know why I'm here?” Marina asked, her
voice quavering. The sorceress’ calm demeanor
didn’t lessen the trepidation she felt.
Her anxiety must have shown, because the woman
began to smile. There was a curve to the sorceress’
lips that did not bring Marina any comfort. If she
were more timid, the teal and blue scales on her tail
would have already lost their color from fear.
“I'm not the most accomplished sorceress across
the deep, blue sea for nothing,” the woman replied.
Her tail uncurled, allowing a bottle of glowing blue
liquid to float from her grasp and towards Marina.
“Here.”
Marina took it in her shaking hands.
“Is this the potion?” she asked, eyeing the liquid
inside. Whatever it was, it didn’t look palatable at all.
“Yes,” the sorceress answered. “A spell to mask the
mermaid’s magic essence lying dormant in your
blood. One sip, and you will have what you desire.
On one condition.”
The other merfolk had cautioned her about the
sorcerers and their conditions. In truth, Marina had
nearly decided not to come here because of those
warnings. Only the fact that nothing was left of her
old home pushed her to stick to her decision.
“What is it?” Marina asked.
The woman before her tilted her head. That smile
stayed just as controlled as before. “After stepping
foot upon the human world, you will have to wed the
first unmarried man you meet. If he does not marry
you or he discards you later on, your life will belong
to me forever.”
Marina gulped. She already knew about that
stipulation from the stories being passed around.
The task felt more daunting coming from the
sorceress herself.
“I understand.”
The woman raised one eyebrow. “Are you not
frightened?”
“If it means that I can have what I've always
wanted, I will do anything,” Marina said, her
determination overshadowing any misgivings she
felt.
A volcanic quake had destroyed her coral home
and buried her parents and siblings in mere seconds.
The ashes it scattered killed off what was left of the
reef. Her shoal had been forced to disband and seek
refuge in other mer kingdoms.
As one of the unlucky few who didn’t get accepted
into a new home, Marina had no choice but to go
where only the most desperate merfolk went.
Luckily for her, the sorceress had no objections to
the idea.
“Very well then,” the woman said, ready to gamble
with another life. “May fate be with you.”
She could not stand the sorceress’ excited gaze any
longer. Marina twisted around and swam out of the
cave as quickly as she could. Her shimmering blue
tail and translucent fins propelled her through the
water, leaving bubbles in her wake.
Marina changed direction at one point and headed
towards the surface. She broke through the waves
and sucked in some desperately needed air to calm
her pounding heart. The gills on her neck closed,
allowing her lungs to work alone as she looked
around for a good place to ground herself.
She eventually found a sandy beach sheltered by a
curve of imposing bluffs. The place was familiar to
her only because she had seen it once while hunting
for fish. Now, Marina had no brothers or sisters to
hunt for.
“Well, here goes nothing.” Marina dragged herself
onto the sand until she was sure that the changing
tide would not reach her. Then, once she’d tidied the
mess that was her tangled brown hair with her free
hand, she opened the bottle and lifted it to her lips.
The last thing she remembered before passing out
was a disgusting taste that resembled mer blood.
When Marina finally woke, it was to the sight of
something more pleasant than the sorceress.
She first noticed the strong human scent that
surrounded her. Next, she became aware of
someone’s warm arm supporting her back and
shoulder. And when she opened her eyes, she saw
the face of a man.
“Hey,” the man said, his mouth turned down and
his dark eyebrows wrinkling. He had the greenest
irises Marina had ever seen, even among the merfolk.
“Are you all right?”
Marina tried to turn her head so she could see the
rest of him, but a dull pain behind her neck made
her scalp throb. The potion must have been more
powerful than she thought.
“My head…”
Thankfully, the man was kind enough to hold her
gently through the ordeal. He adjusted his arm so
that she could rest her weight on it. “Steady now.”
“Thank you,” she said after regaining her strength
and adjusting her bearings.
Carefully, Marina raised her hand to the back of
her head as if to feel for any wounds. In truth, she
wanted to see if her gills were gone. The smooth skin
under her fingertips proved that the potion had
worked.
The man didn’t notice what she was doing. He
seemed more concerned by the fact that a stranger
like her was on the beach. “What the heck are you
doing all the way out here? And so early in the
morning?”
Her heart raced. If there was one thing she wasn’t
very good at, it was lying. But one look at the fishing
net that the man had discarded close by, and Marina
knew that she couldn’t tell this man the truth.
Out of all kinds of humans, it was fishermen who
disliked merfolk the most. They competed for fish,
after all, and rogue merfolk were notorious for
seducing fisherfolk from their spouses. It’s the
reason why only the married among her kind were
allowed on land.
There had been more than one unwed mermaid or
merman who returned to sea because humans had
driven them away after discovering the truth.
“I... got lost…” she said.
The man snorted. “Got knocked out is more like it.
Are you alone?”
“Yes,” Marina replied.
“You don't look too good. Are you... in a bad way?”
The man’s eyes darted down before coming back to
her face. He blushed. “Did somebody hurt you?”
“No.”
The man pressed his lips together and stayed
silent. Marina could see not just his discomfort but
also his disbelief. After all, there were only so many
reasons for an unconscious, naked woman to appear
out of nowhere.
Eventually, he sighed and helped her sit up.
“Here.” He let go of her so he could remove his
coat and drape it over her shoulders. “What
happened, then? Why are you, um, underdressed
like this?”
If he didn’t look so troubled by her presence,
Marina would have taken the time to appreciate his
coat’s scent. She found the mix of pine and salty
breeze wafting from the fabric rather pleasant. It
made her feel safe, even though she should be
cautious with the human who’d found her.
“I didn't bring clothes with me when I... escaped…”
Marina said, not really sure how else she could
explain her predicament. She didn’t want to return
to the sea and present the sorceress with her life
before the sun had set on her first day as a human.
The man gnawed at his lower lip, and Marina
hoped that he’d take pity on her despite her poorly
worded answers.
“I get it,” he said, much to Marina’s relief. “I won't
ask anything else if you don't feel like talking, but at
least let me take care of you.”
“I'd appreciate it, Mister…”
“The name's Caspian.” His arm returned to where
it had been before he gave her his coat. “What's
yours?”
“Marina,” she said as he helped her to her feet. She
looked down, and for a moment, Marina marveled
over the sight of her ten new toes digging into the
white sand.
“Well, Marina,” the man—Caspian—said, “let's see
if you can walk without tipping over.”
Marina struggled over her first few steps, but
Caspian was quick to support her whenever she
nearly fell. He held her to his side, only briefly
loosening his arm when he had to retrieve his fishing
net. The rest of the time, he helped her past the
occasional boulder that dotted the beach.
“Where are we walking to?” Marina asked after
noticing that they were going only one way.
Caspian pointed to a sloping path of pebbles that
connected the edge of the beach to the grassier
terrain above. The rest of the path steadily rose
towards a rocky mound topped by a copse of trees. A
stone cottage was tucked neatly among the foliage,
blending seamlessly with the natural environment
surrounding it.
“That cottage on the bluff is mine,” he said. “We'll
set you up there so you can rest.”
Even though she was grateful for the assistance,
she didn’t want to impose too much. She only
needed to get used to walking, and then she would
be on her way. She had to find a groom as quickly as
possible or her life would be forfeit.
“Won't your wife be curious about me when I show
up?” Marina asked, toying with the possibility of
asking him to bring some supplies to her instead.
 Caspian looked her way and grinned. “Lucky for
you, I don't have a wife.”
Marina’s stomach nearly dropped.
The man who’d found her was unmarried. And a
fisherman. And she was bound to her promise to the
sorceress, whether she liked it or not.
No wonder the woman had been more than happy
to help her transform. There was a good chance that
the first human she met would be one that did not
take kindly to mermaids. The sorceress had been
counting on her to literally turn tail before she could
even begin her new life.
Well, the woman would be sorely disappointed.
Marina had come this far, and she would not give
up now. She could be happy with Caspian as long as
she remained careful. The man was built well and
was quite nice to look at, and he seemed kind.
Even if he turned her away and she returned to the
sea in disgrace, at least she could say that she’d tried.
“I'll be your wife,” she said.
It would be hard, but the idea of wandering the sea
alone was a lot harder to bear.
Caspian nearly stumbled when he heard her words.
He almost took her down with him. “I beg your
pardon?”
Marina clung to his side and looked him straight
in the eye. She could see the blush return to his
cheeks with a vengeance. She could feel her own face
warming as she held his gaze.
“Marry me.”
 Chapter II
Of all the things Caspian expected to find on the
shore, it wasn’t a naked woman with a heart-shaped
face and long, beautiful brown hair.
He’d almost run away screaming at first, thinking
that he’d found a dead body. Thankfully, he’d
noticed her steady breathing as soon as he came
closer to look her over. As much as he could without
disgracing either himself or the woman, of course.
In that short amount of time, he’d glimpsed just
how pearly her skin was. How gently her figure
curved and dipped in all the right places. He’d
noticed her shapely legs and small feet.
Although he would have liked to see more,
Caspian was too much of a gentleman to take
advantage of things. His mother and sister would
have given him a beating, and his father would have
thrown him into the sea. Luckily, the coat that he’d
decided to wear against the morning chill had been
long enough to cover her.
Now, the woman was dressed in his late mother’s
old clothes—and going through her breakfast more
enthusiastically than he had expected. Her wide blue
eyes and the happy little chirrups coming from her
bow lips were close to driving him insane.
“Good, yeah?” he asked, hoping that some
small-talk would distract him from his startling
fascination with the woman.
 Said woman swallowed the food left in her mouth
before smiling at him. “It tastes heavenly!”
If there was anything he could boast about, it was
the artisan techniques that his late parents had
handed down to him. His father had been a master
at reading the sea, and his mother had had a knack
for preparing and preserving fish of all kinds. They’d
been good at what they did despite their identities as
‘humble fisherfolk.’
“I caught it fresh from the water over there, then
cured it with enough salt to last a year,” he
explained.
The woman nodded before picking up her fork and
resuming her feast. “I didn't know it would taste this
delicious.”
“You look like you've never had fish before.”
Caspian ran through the landlocked villages that he
knew of. If the woman wasn’t used to eating fish,
then she might have come from the forested regions
like Regalia Ridge or Viridian Vale.
However, the woman shook her head.
“It's the only thing I've had since I was a child,”
she said, “but I've never had it cooked. Like this, I
mean.”
Ever since regaining consciousness, the woman
had given nothing but confusing answers. There was
no question that she was hiding something from him.
She didn’t want him to know where she’d come from
or what had happened to her, and this was reason
enough to let her be on her way.
 However, Caspian didn’t have it in his heart to
leave her to her own devices. A young woman like
her, seemingly unaware of the dangers of the world,
would have no chance against the swindlers and
ruffians that passed through Cerulean Cove. Not to
mention the fairies and other beings that
occasionally visit human territories.
“I see,” he said, dismissing her secretive behavior
for now. He didn’t want to upset her if it meant
making her recall any horrible things she’d had to go
through to get here.
The woman finished her food just as Caspian
pulled a chair out from the other side of the table
and sat down. “Thank you for serving me breakfast.”
“About what you said earlier.” Caspian laced his
fingers together and set them on the table. He didn’t
want to talk about this in his little kitchen, with its
modestly stocked cupboards and dull wood floors,
but no other place in the four-room cottage seemed
any better.
The parlor’s furniture was still covered in sheets
because he hadn’t entertained anybody there in a
long time. The spare and main bedrooms were out of
the question. And it wasn’t like he could drag her out
of the house after the hearth had just warmed her
up.
“Yes?”
“You were only joking, right?” he insisted,
knowing full well that nobody in their right mind
would wish to marry him out of nowhere. Even his
former lover that had known him for years had
declined his proposal.
The last he'd heard of Reca, she was engaged to
some well-off knight from the Northern Village.
He really should have listened to his sister and
found someone who could accept his humble
background. Instead, he just had to lie to himself
and believe that his former lover would change her
mind. In the end, Reca had told him that he'd never
be enough.
“I was serious,” the woman said, much to his
surprise. “I truly wish that you'd marry me.”
His sister had been forever telling him not to
worry about her and to just settle down. Find
someone who would at least be willing to work
alongside him if he truly wasn’t interested in
romance anymore. Of course, this was easier said
than done.
“But why?” Caspian couldn’t help but scratch his
head. “I mean, I'm flattered, but you barely know
me.”
Before he could move away, the woman had
leaned over the table and covered his clasped hands
with her fingers. They looked so smooth and dainty
compared to his sun-tanned, knobbier ones. “You
covered me up, gave me food, and didn't take
advantage of me. I think kindness is a wonderful
quality in a husband.”
It seemed like Caspian’s cheeks weren’t done
blushing for the day, and it was only mid-morning!
The woman looked so earnest with her praise that he
couldn’t find the willpower to tell her she was wrong.
He didn’t know what part of him would make for a
so-called wonderful husband.
And still, she wanted to marry him.
“Either I'm dreaming,” he murmured, “or I just
became the luckiest bastard on this side of Cerulean
Cove.”
The woman tilted her head. “Is that where we
are?”
“Yeah,” Caspian said. The nervous, almost
pleasant feeling he got from hearing the woman’s
voice faded as his eyes narrowed. “You didn't know?”
The woman shook her head again. She shrank
back into her seat, and Caspian almost regretted
saying anything. “I was in such a big hurry to get
away that any place would've been fine.”
Caspian didn’t like that statement at all. Firstly, it
meant that the woman was indeed running away
from something. Whether that something was
dangerous or not, only time and a healthy dose of
trust will tell.
Second, it only proved that the woman had no idea
how dangerous the surrounding forests could be.
Many of the villages were safe because the oracles
who guarded them employed knights and sentries to
patrol their lands. The paths that the caravans took
to get from one region to another were a different
story.
“And somehow you ended up here,” Caspian said,
not bothering to hide his relief.
There were worse places for someone to pass out.
Cerulean Cove may have been small, with only three
villages and nothing of significant importance to
export, but it had its own charms if one bothered to
look. Even his sister wished to return home as soon
as she’d earned enough money to better their lives
here.
The woman tilted her head the other way, and that
small motion pulled Caspian out of his thoughts.
“You said something about being lucky.”
“It's just that I was thinking about finding
someone to mind the house,” he answered honestly.
“Fishing takes up a lot of time. And as far as I’m
concerned, it’s better to have someone watching this
place in the early morning and late afternoon. The
problem is, there aren't a lot of folks in town who
want to live all the way out here.”
“Well, I do,” the woman said, surprising him yet
again. She was ridiculously set on marrying him. “I
like it here because it's close to the sea.”
Strangely enough, Caspian was warming to the
idea too.
The woman—Marina, he remembered—was quite
beautiful. Besides that, she appeared to have an
energetic spirit. Caspian was sure that Verna would
appreciate a warm, friendly, and enthusiastic
sister-in-law.
What was more, marrying her meant that he could
help her escape from whatever had driven her to
come here in the first place. She could eat and sleep
somewhere safe. She could start her life anew, a
luxury that many people down on their luck find
hard to come by.
“You'll have to clean the house and do the laundry
while I'm away,” he said.
Talk of housework didn’t phase her. She even
looked excited at the prospect of tackling those
chores. “I don't mind.”
“And it would have to be a marriage in name only,”
Caspian added for good measure. “Like I said, we
barely know each other.”
Unbeknownst to his sister, Caspian actually did
want a romantic relationship again. However, he
didn’t want to start it on the wrong foot the way he
had with Reca. He was intensely attracted to Marina,
but attraction and desire alone didn't make for a
lasting relationship.
Simply put, he wanted more than just infatuation
this time around. He wanted what his mother and
father had. With someone like Marina, if possible.
To this end, he would remain a gentleman even if
he died trying.
Either Marina thought the same or she simply had
no objections to this clause. “Of course.”
Just like that, she’d sealed their fates. Now
Caspian just had to stop by the village temple and
ask the local oracle for her blessing. And, of course,
hope that this convenient marriage of theirs didn’t
blow up in their faces.
 Chapter III
Even though she knew much of the human world
already—mostly from her parents, who used to
surface and trade above-sea—Marina still realized
that there was more she could learn. She’d picked up
a few things since living with Caspian. And she
enjoyed each new experience.
For instance, Marina didn’t know that human
clothes could be so cozy. She’d seen women in
peasant blouses and billowy skirts from afar, but she
hadn’t known how they would feel on her scale-free
skin until now. She liked the softness and warmth of
the cotton and linen fabrics.
She also liked the soaps she used to wash them.
Unlike the slime that merfolk harvested from fish,
the stuff that Caspian used for cleansing smelled
strongly of many different things, some of them
pleasantly unfamiliar. She liked the one that smelled
of flowers best, and she loved the bubbles it made.
Now, though, her favorite thing would have to be
the village temple.
She liked the arched windows of blue stained glass
built into the white, square-shaped building. They
went well with the blue tile roof and black double
doors out front. The tint of their panes was faint
enough that Marina could still see the black,
wrought-iron fence that surrounded the entire
property.
 The inside was charming too.
The stone floors had been scrubbed and polished
clean, and fresh garlands hung from the beams
beneath the foyer’s ceiling. The round altar in the
middle of the shrine room had been draped in lace
and heaped with all sorts of flower bouquets. A tall
candle stood at the center of the arrangement,
adding to the gentle light that came from the wall
sconces.
She would have liked to watch the way its creamy
wax melted and rolled down towards its catchment
bowl—if she weren’t marrying Caspian at the
moment.
“With these bands, your hearts are bound. And
with a kiss, your souls are sealed.”
Marina returned her attention to Lady Rosa, the
village oracle Caspian had told her about. They’d
only met today, but she already had a good feeling
about the woman. Maybe it’s because Lady Rosa
exuded authority in the same way as the sorceress,
but without being intimidating.
She next shifted her gaze to Caspian.
The man squeezed her hand the moment their
eyes met. “Marina?”
He’d explained the ceremony to her ‘just in case it
was different from the ones where she came from.’
She remembered that at this point, they were
supposed to kiss. Marina’s cheeks flushed, but she
soldiered on.
“It's all right,” she said, returning his gesture.
 Before she knew it, Caspian had leaned towards
her until their lips came together. His one arm
snaked behind her back to bring her closer, and she
complied. It was a soft kiss, and rather brief, but it
was more than enough to make Marina realize that
she liked it.
Even more than her clothes and soap and the
temple, maybe.
“Congratulations, both of you.”
Marina was still too tongue-tied after Caspian’s
kiss to say anything. Luckily, the man hadn’t lost his
senses the way she had. “Thank you, my lady.”
The oracle nodded. “And it was a pleasure to meet
your lovely bride.”
“You're too kind.” Marina said, pleased that
Caspian hadn’t thought to release her yet. She rather
enjoyed having him close to her side.
“Will you be moving into town now that you're
married?”
“No,” Caspian said. “We're staying by the sea.”
“You have a point.” Lady Rosa looked Marina’s
way and winked at her. “All that privacy will be good
for your marriage.”
This time, both she and Caspian blushed. They’d
been living together since her arrival at Cerulean
Cove, but they hadn’t really talked about it out loud.
It was a little embarrassing to hear someone else
actually bring it up in their conversation.
“That's not what I meant, my lady,” Caspian
hurriedly explained. “Marina loves it there.”
 “It's true,” Marina confirmed. “I've always been
fond of the sea. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Thankfully, the oracle latched on to the topic and
dropped the one before. “Did you live close to the
water before coming here?”
“In a way,” she replied, not wanting to go into too
many details. There weren’t very many humans who
could easily decipher her true origins, but oracles
were among the few who could.
Marina had the sorceress' potion to thank for her
disguise. As long as she didn't use any of her merfolk
magic, Lady Rosa would remain oblivious. And as
long as Caspian didn't sever their marriage, she'd
retain her human form.
Caspian must have noticed her discomfort because
he spoke up before Lady Rosa could ask for more
details. “I have to go into town to restock on food.
Our supplies are running low.”
“Do you need any vegetables?” the oracle asked.
“Because if you do, you can harvest some from the
temple garden.”
“You don't mind, my lady?” Caspian asked. “The
temple belongs to you.”
“Consider it your wedding present,” Lady Rosa
replied. “I’ll let my apprentice know. She can help
pick out the ones you can harvest.”
Caspian’s happy face made Marina’s heart skip a
beat. She’d seen him smile before, and it always
made her feel things she couldn’t explain. Simply put,
she enjoyed seeing his eyes sparkle with joy.
 Only then did Caspian let go of her, and only so
that he could shake the oracle’s hand. “Thank you,
my lady.”
“Shall we?” Marina said after Lady Rosa left them
to fetch her apprentice. The oracle told them that
they could meet up at the garden gates.
“It's too hot outside, and you're not that used to
the sun,” Caspian said as he took her hand. “Why
don't you stay here where it's more comfortable?”
“But I want to help,” she replied.
“I know, but I don't want you fainting out there
from exhaustion.” Caspian looked deeply into her
eyes. The green of his irises seemed to turn gold in
the light of the candle. “You've barely recovered from
the last time.”
“I swear I won't,” Marina murmured, mesmerized
by the man. Nobody, with the exception of her late
parents, had cared this much for her well-being.
It didn’t help that Caspian had dressed up for the
occasion. The coat he usually wore had been
replaced by a tailored jacket, and he’d worn one of
his newer pants. He’d also let her borrow his late
mother’s fancier clothes, ‘so she could be even
prettier than she already was on their special day.’
Remembering his kind words made Marina blush.
If he was this charming with her now, she could only
guess how he would treat someone he truly loved.
She knew how lucky she was to have found such a
thoughtful human.
“Let's make a deal, then,” Caspian said. “You stay
here for the moment, but when we get to town, you
can help keep track of which items we'll be buying
from the stores.”
He was being so kind to her that Marina finally
agreed.
“All right,” she said.
Relief washed over Caspian’s face.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. Their
matching silver bands winked in the candlelight,
cementing the fact that they were married. “Wait
here, yeah?”
Marina nodded. She hung back when Caspian
dropped her hand and excused himself from the
shrine room. She felt a sense of contentment as she
watched him stride to the front door.
Surprise replaced that contentment when Caspian
paused and spun around. He made his way back
towards her, cradled her cheeks, and kissed her
more deeply than the first time. His hands were still
gentle on her, but there was no mistaking the desire
that dictated this second kiss.
It was over before Marina could even convince
herself it was happening. She barely caught the blush
staining Caspian’s cheeks before he dismissed
himself again. She stood slack-jawed and speechless
in the middle of the shrine room, not really sure
what to make of the incident.
A chuckle echoed against the walls and broke the
spell that seemed to have trapped her.
Marina turned around just as a pretty woman with
golden hair entered from a side door. The stranger
wore the same vestments as Lady Rosa, except hers
didn’t have as much of the elaborate embroidery as
the other one had. She assumed that this woman was
the oracle’s apprentice.
The stranger smiled at Marina with the same
welcoming aura that Rosa had shown. “Caspian
seems like a new man now that he has someone of
his own.”
“My lady?” Marina asked as the woman came to
her side.
“He's not the richest person here, and he’s not
very chatty with the village women. Not many
prominent acquaintances as well, I’m told,” the
woman said. “I'm glad that it didn't hamper you
from marrying him, though.”
Marina’s brow furrowed. It seemed that she had
many more things to learn about the human world.
She didn’t understand what riches or acquaintances
had to do with marrying someone, but it must be
important.
For now, she would wait until Caspian returned
with their vegetables.
Marina had the rest of her life to figure out how
her new world worked. Caspian had told her that
this was their special day, and she didn’t want to be
the one who spoiled it. She wished to enjoy the rest
of their trip to the Western Village, which she had
been wanting to explore since the morning.
Because maybe, just maybe, Caspian would kiss
her while they were there.
 Chapter IV
Caspian felt like he was walking on air. His steps
were light, and his lips had curled into an easygoing
smile. He wanted to believe that it was because of
the day’s fair weather, complete with a sunlit sky,
fluffy clouds, and a warm breeze blowing through
Cerulean Cove’s Western Village.
The truth is, he felt happy because he was holding
his wife’s hand.
They were walking on a cobblestone road leading
towards the village square. It took them past
cottages big and small, as well as flowering gardens
and cheerful people going about their own business.
The men and women he knew waved at him—then
tailed him with their eyes after realizing that, this
time, he hadn’t come into the village alone.
Not that he minded. After all, Marina was
beautiful, even in her hand-me-down clothes. Even
the blindest fool would take a second glance at her if
she walked by.
They passed a group of children playing with
wooden swords. One was pretending to be some sort
of rogue creature, whereas the other played at being
a knight. Marina’s chuckle upon hearing their banter
made him smile wider.
“You look happy,” he said, moving just a bit closer
to her to make room for a man pushing his weighty
wheelbarrow.
 “I am,” Marina replied. She had just as big a smile
on her face. “I've never been to this village before. I
didn't know it would look so beautiful or have so
many people.”
“Didn't you have any villages that looked like this?”
Caspian inclined his head. Yet another clue as to
where she might have come from, but he was still no
closer to figuring out her former home’s exact
location.
Marina’s eyes darted to the side, as if trying to
recall what the other villages she’d seen were like. Or
perhaps she was trying to think about how she could
answer him. “There were, but... I always thought that
the villages here would be quieter.”
“At least that means you'll be used to the crowds in
the shops,” he said, dropping the subject.
Although he was curious, he didn’t want to ruin
their afternoon by needling her for more information.
This was their special day, even if it had been done
out of convenience. Caspian only hoped that they
would reach a point where Marina could trust him,
preferably before their hair had turned gray.
Marina swung her wicker basket at her side as
they turned a corner. “Where are we heading?”
“To the seamstress, for one,” Caspian replied. He
readjusted the straps of his canvas pack so that the
vegetables already inside wouldn’t tumble out. “You
need new clothes.”
His wife looked at her frayed skirt and faded
peasant blouse. Her hand-me-downs were
serviceable for now, but they were already so old that
they wouldn’t last until the end of the season.
“You're probably right.”
Caspian nodded. Thankfully, he’d saved up a bit of
money just before Marina tumbled into his life. It
meant that his new net and sail would have to wait a
little longer, but at least his wife wouldn’t freeze to
death in the colder season.
“We'll go to the mercantile after that,” he
continued. “Then, the roadside market for fruits and
other vegetables. We'll stop by the butcher last.”
“What's a butcher?”
Caspian stopped short. If he hadn’t been holding
Marina’s hand, she would have continued walking
without him. Since he was, she also paused in the
middle of the road, thankfully nowhere near the path
of another couple going the opposite way.
“It's the man who sells meat like beef and chicken,”
he explained, a little confused by her question.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “You eat beef and chicken,
right?”
“Have you never had beef or chicken before?”
Surely, even in the most remote villages, people
raised cattle or bred poultry for food. Then again,
there were families who couldn’t afford to buy these
meats or cruelly refused to feed them to their
children.
“No.” Her smile shrank. “Is that strange?”
“Not if you're from somewhere else, I guess,” he
said, not voicing the other possibilities. He hated to
think that his wife might have never eaten a good
meal before now. “When we get home, I'll cook you
some stew so you can try it out.”
Marina’s mood lightened. “I'm sure I'll love it.”
Buying extra ingredients would cost him some of
the coins he had been saving for a new salting jar,
but Caspian didn’t mind. Marina had been a big help
in minding the house and volunteering to do other
tasks such as mending his nets and rinsing his catch.
He was sure that their efficiency would help him
earn the same amount in no time.
He gave her hand a little squeeze, and they
resumed their walk.
It wasn’t long before they reached the seamstress,
who was ‘more than happy to fit and measure such a
beautiful, young customer like Marina.’ By the time
they were through, Marina had walked out in a new,
ready-made outfit that the shop’s owner had added
some slight alterations to. She’d also carried a
bundle of other clothes, as well as garments to wear
beneath them.
Their stop at the mercantile had taken less time,
seeing as they were only there for salt, sugar, thread,
and a few other things they needed around the house.
Shopping at the market, on the other hand, seemed
to take an eternity. There were so many people
hovering over the stalls and haggling for better
prices just like them.
By the time they finished, the fluffy clouds in the
sky had given way to scary-looking mounds of gray.
The wind had picked up, almost whispering through
the trees. The sun was nowhere in sight.
“It looks like rain,” Caspian said as he held his
palm up to check.
His other hand was still holding on to Marina.
Caspian had been too nervous to lose her in the
market’s crowd that he reached for her as soon as
they entered the fray. He hadn’t let go since, even
though they had already stepped out of the village
and started making their way to the seaside bluffs.
“Really?” Marina stared at the skies. “Does it get
dangerous here?”
Caspian didn’t miss the worry in her voice. He’d
heard stories about distant villages that would flood
during heavy storms. In fact, the caravans
sometimes brought those areas’ former residents
along as a way to help them find new homes.
“Were rains dangerous where you came from?” he
asked.
Marina pressed her lips together. She didn’t take
her eyes off of the darkening horizon. “A little.”
“Don't worry.” Caspian squeezed her hand like
before. He waited for her to look his way before
smiling at her. “We'll hurry home as quickly as we
can.”
Thankfully, his reassurance eased her tense
features.
They did their best to pick up their pace despite
the heavy things they were carrying. Caspian was
glad that they’d bought a new pair of shoes for
Marina. Otherwise, the pebbles they were hurrying
over would have cut her feet.
Unfortunately, the skies opened up and dumped a
torrent of rain on them before they could make it the
whole way back. They had just started at the foot of
the incline when the first droplets hit his nose. By
the time they were at his front door, they were both
soaked through.
“That was stronger than I thought,” Marina mused
as she left her wicker basket by the door and helped
him remove his pack. “Not as dangerous as I
expected, thankfully.”
“You're all wet, though,” Caspian noted, taking
care not to stare too much at the way all that water
had plastered her shirt onto her skin. He also did his
best to hide his blush under the guise of wiping his
face dry. “Would you like a warm bath?”
Marina’s eyes sparkled. “With hot water?”
“Yeah,” he agreed, moving his gaze to the little
alcove in the corner of their parlor. “I'll set up the
tub and heat some water over the stove. Then you
can take a soak behind the screen while I cook up
some stew.”
The one thing Caspian learned after days of living
together was that Marina was obsessed with long,
relaxing soaks. It had been awkward at first,
knowing that a beautiful woman was lounging just
feet behind the old privacy screen while he went
around the house. The threat of being haunted by his
parents was what had kept him from stepping out of
line and acting on his more… mature urges.
“Yes, please.” Marina said. She even removed the
pin from her hair and combed through her brown
tresses in preparation. “That sounds like a lovely way
to spend the afternoon together.”
That was the moment when their situation truly
sank in.
With just one word—together—Caspian realized
that they were married. She was his wife, and he was
her husband. After years of waiting and hoping, he
finally had someone to share his life with.
What’s more, the person sharing was cheery,
vibrant, and interested in whatever he had to offer
her. If she was this happy around him now, he could
only wonder how ecstatic she’d always be with
someone whom she genuinely loved. He could only
hope that his fond affection for her would be enough.
“Why are you so charming?” he asked, letting that
fondness slip out.
Marina stopped combing her hair. She lifted her
eyes to meet his, and that exposed the rosy color
blooming on her cheeks. “I…”
Her words trailed off when Caspian kissed her.
He didn’t know what compelled him to do it.
Perhaps the sight of her blushing face framed by
tendrils of damp hair was too tempting to resist.
Perhaps the fact that they were bound together for
the rest of eternity had played with his head.
One thing was certain, though. Kissing her soft,
shy lips was the most amazing thing he’d done in his
life. The feel of Marina melting against him,
breathing him in, and curling her fingers into his
shirt filled him with so much euphoria he could
burst.
Even his most intimate past encounters with Reca
couldn’t compare.
It took everything he had in him to finally pry
himself away from her.
“I'm sorry,” Caspian said, even though part of him
wasn’t. That same part screamed at him to take
things even further. “That wasn't supposed to
happen.”
Surprisingly, Marina licked her lips and kept her
hands on his heart.
“I don't mind,” she said, her voice so breathless
that he almost dared to kiss her again. “You're a
lovely kisser.”
If he were a lesser man, he would have thrown his
principles away and flung their agreement to the
stormy winds. Caspian knew that he couldn’t act on
any passionate fantasies now. For one thing, his wife
had started to shiver from the cold.
The temperature was only going to drop further
because of the rain, and he’d be damned if the
weather and his inability to care for her made
Marina sick.
“I'll draw that bath now,” he said, escaping to the
kitchen to prepare her hot water.
Caspian decided to heat only one kettle’s worth,
just enough for Marina to use. He was perfectly fine
with using water straight from the pump for his own
bath. After all, every inch of him already burned
from that one kiss.
 Chapter V
Her eyes scanned the choppy waters as the
blustery winds ruffled her new gingham skirt. The
dark red fabric billowed around her legs. Against the
sandy shore, it looked like a flag or a beacon used to
guide the way for nearby ships.
That’s exactly why Marina had chosen to wear it.
Caspian had set out to fish early that morning, and
he hadn’t been back since. Now it was almost noon,
and his little boat still hadn’t made an appearance on
the shore. The gray clouds that were rolling in from
the sea didn’t ease Marina’s mind.
Two other fishermen who had set sail later had
already returned. The few others who lived south of
the cove hadn’t even bothered rowing out. She
walked from one end of the beach to the other,
hoping that nothing had happened to him.
A long time passed before she spotted his boat’s
sail cresting over the waves. Marina dashed to the
small pier south of their bluff, the place where
Caspian usually moored. She waved her hands and
hoped he could return as quickly as he could
manage.
“You're back! Thank the fates, you're back!” she
said as the man finally hopped onto the dock and
secured his boat. She didn’t even glance at the
half-empty net he’d hauled up before tackling him.
“Marina? What are you doing here?” Caspian
barely flinched when her arms came around his neck.
His voice held a hint of alarm. “A storm's rolling in!”
“That's why I was waiting for you,” she explained.
Now that Caspian was here, the anxiety coiled in her
chest started to dissipate.
Caspian wrapped one arm around her as he
reached for the net he’d dropped onto the wooden
planks. He then led her back to the beach. “Were you
worried that I'd have a hard time getting home?”
“I don't like the water when it storms,” Marina
said. She clung to him even though she knew that the
sea couldn’t reach him anymore and rip him away
from her. “You might get hurt out there.”
The man snorted. One of his brows rose as he
smirked. “I'm a good swimmer, you know.”
For the first time since meeting him, Marina felt
her ire rise. She didn’t like the proud, confident look
on his face. She’d been living in that watery world
until only a few weeks ago, and she knew what
struggling with its natural power was really like.
“The sea doesn't care how good of a swimmer you
are. If it wants you to sink to the bottom, it'll do
everything it can to get you there,” Marina said.
“You're a fisherman, right? You're supposed to know
that.”
Beside her, Caspian tensed. His smirk wavered
when she pulled herself away from him. “I do know
that. That's why I'm very careful when I fish in
weather like this.”
Marina shook her head.
 “You should just stay home.”
The man reacted to that suggestion with a sudden
stop and a tight jaw. He turned to face her. “You
don’t get it, Marina. I have to go out.”
Marina couldn’t believe his hardheaded reply.
She’d seen the drowned bodies of fishermen sinking
to the bottom of the sea even as a child. And when
she was older, she even helped tow them back to the
surface and shuffle them onto shore so that other
humans could give them a proper burial.
The thought of Caspian’s lifeless form slowly
drifting down into the deepest, darkest trenches
filled her with a horror she couldn’t even describe.
“Why go out at all?” she asked, needing him to see
reason.
It was clearly the wrong thing to ask, because
Caspian imploded. He spun swiftly and marched
towards her. “Because I need money! Does that
answer your question?!”
Marina was so startled that she backed away. In
her hurry, she nearly tripped on a conch shell partly
buried in the sand. Caspian only stopped his advance
when he saw her teetering on her feet.
They stared at each other, Marina with surprise,
Caspian with a mix of shock and frustration. The
wind whipped at the man’s hair. The green of his
eyes had dulled in the midst of their bickering, filling
her with a sense of despair.
“Excuse me,” Marina said before leaving him
behind.
 She hurried over the path that led back to their
home. In her haste, she sprayed sand from under her
feet, its sound interspersed with the sniffling she
made. Never in her life did she think that a human
would make her cry.
Marina slammed the front door as soon as she
entered the cottage, then sought refuge in the little
kitchen that still smelled of butter and flour. She
could barely look at the bread basket she’d made
earlier that morning, the special treat she’d prepared
for when Caspian finally came back. They were
supposed to share it in front of the fireplace while
the man talked more about the village folks he knew.
It wasn’t long before Caspian appeared at the
threshold, chest heaving and eyes as wide as saucers.
The net he’d been carrying a while ago was nowhere
to be seen. Even the buckets he usually moved his
catch into weren’t in his hands.
“Marina, I'm sorry.” He came into the room and
stood in front of her. His fingers brushed away the
few tears she hadn’t managed to wipe off. “I didn't
mean to yell.”
“I didn't like it,” she said.
“Nobody would,” he replied. “I'm so sorry.”
The shame and remorse in his tone made Marina’s
heart ache. It wasn’t in her nature to hold a grudge
against anyone. She didn’t even think ill of the
merfolk that had rejected her request to join them,
much less the one human that had actually accepted
her.
 Marina knew that this man she’d married was
hardworking, good, and kind. Caspian would never
lay a hand on her in anger. Even if he figured out
that she was originally a mermaid, she didn’t believe
that he would harm her afterward.
Still, it didn’t make the sting of his reprimand feel
any less painful.
“You hate me,” she said, her voice breaking.
Caspian was quick to deny that thought. He pulled
her into his arms before she could say anything else.
“No, I don't. I got annoyed, but that doesn't mean I
hate you. It's not the same.”
“I was worried,” Marina admitted as she breathed
the scent of salt and sun on Caspian’s coat. It helped
remind her that he was still alive and breathing. “I
kept thinking about what would happen if you didn't
come home. I don't want to lose anybody else.”
Her arms tightened around him as she
remembered that day of loss.
If her older sister hadn’t shoved her to the very
back of their reef, where the seagrass was so tangled
up with mud that it blocked the heat, fumes, and
debris from the volcanic quake, Marina would have
passed on with her family. Losing them and their
home had been the worst day of her life. The only
comfort she had was the thought that they had all
been together during those last moments.
She didn’t want Caspian to struggle by himself out
there. If fate was kind enough, she would grow old
with him until he could no longer set out to fish.
They would live in his cottage on the bluff, where
they’d be safe and warm.
“You won't lose me,” he reassured her. “We're in
this together, right? With these bands, our hearts are
bound. With a kiss, our souls are sealed.”
“Caspian…” Marina looked up at him, relieved that
he wasn’t going anywhere.
His throat bobbed as he returned her gaze. “Do
you really like my kisses?”
“Yes.”
And just like that, Caspian gifted her with another
kiss.
This one was long and slow and gentle. It was an
apology and a promise to stick together. It made
Marina weak at the knees, prompting her to lean
most of her weight on Caspian.
The man used that moment to slip his hand
beneath Marina’s long locks and run his fingers over
the small of her back. He moved his other one to the
curve of her hip, just above where her skirt flared
close to her bottom. In return, Marina carded her
fingers through his hair and traced the blades of his
shoulders.
Caspian dipped his head so his lips could reach
her neck. “Marina…”
The first claps of thunder made Marina jump.
“What was that?” she asked, pulled out of their
languorous kisses by the noise. That’s when she
noticed the heavy downpour outside their kitchen
window.
 Thankfully, she hadn’t clipped Caspian’s chin in
that second of surprise. She did, however, distract
him for the moment. “Thunder.”
“That was thunder?” she asked. “Why was it so
loud?”
A flash of lightning followed by a second, louder
boom startled her again. Caspian moved his hands
once more, but this time with the intent of easing her
worries instead of seducing her. “It always is.”
Marina sensed the change. She turned back to him,
more concerned by his quiet sigh than the look and
sound of a thunderstorm on human land. She
couldn’t do anything about the latter, anyway.
“What's wrong?”
The man pressed his lips together. Then, as soon
as she’d stopped flinching at the loud sounds of
thunder, he released her. “I can't believe I lost
control again.”
Marina felt empty after Caspian let go of her.
Lately, it was how she reacted whenever he parted
from any hugging or hand-holding they did. She
chewed on her bottom lip, finally admitting that
things were moving well beyond the conditions
they’d agreed on.
“Caspian?”
The man had been retreating to the entryway, but
he paused and looked over his shoulder when she
spoke.
“I'm sorry for touching you,” he said. “I didn't
mean to get carried away.”
 Her cheeks flamed at the idea of what would have
happened if they hadn’t stopped. Now that she could
acknowledge how much she actually cared for her
husband, getting carried away didn’t seem like such
a bad thing. She didn’t know if what she felt was
deep enough to call love, but if the shoe fits…
“If—If we got to know each other better,” she
stuttered, “it would be all right if it happened.
Right?”
Caspian’s eyes widened. He turned away before
she could confirm if the red in his cheeks had been
the start of a blush. “M-maybe.”
 Chapter VI
The turning of the seasons had always been a part
of Caspian’s life. He liked it when the leaves changed
color and the sun climbed the sky much later in the
day. He enjoyed the crisper air that swept in from
the sea and chased away the muggy heat.
The problem was that the cold waters didn’t
encourage many fish to swim near the shore in the
mornings. It didn’t help that pods or schools of
bigger sea creatures would be passing by and taking
their cut of the catch. Caspian didn’t even want to
think about the merfolk who had already trimmed
those numbers down.
All this meant that Caspian would catch little to
nothing if he went out early. He could always fish
just before noon, but if he did, he would have to
decrease the time he spent on actually selling the
fish.
Marina could do that in his place, but Caspian
tossed the idea out as soon as it entered his head.
Considering how dainty her body was, she would
have a hard time lugging a cart loaded with buckets
of fish around town. Letting her head into the village
alone might also expose her to whatever had brought
her to Cerulean Cove in the first place.
Caspian sank into the lumpy couch and sighed.
He’d been hoping to bring Verna home by next
season, but it looked like his sister would have to
wait again. He’d made progress saving up for her
shop, but he hadn’t done it fast enough.
His sigh must have drawn Marina out, because she
peeked into the parlor.
“You look worried,” she said. “Is something
wrong?”
It seemed like that’s all Marina asked him about
lately. Not that he could blame her. He was the one
who moped around the house as soon as he returned
for lunch and dinner.
“I have to change things up.” His gaze drifted to
the locked cupboard in the corner where he kept
their coins. “I won't save enough money for us from
fishing alone.”
Marina stepped fully into the room and sat beside
him. Her presence helped settle his nerves a little.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s getting colder, and it’s going to be a lot harder
to catch fish out at sea,” Caspian explained. Without
conscious thought, he reached for his wife’s hand
and held it. “Fewer fish means fewer coins to take
home. We’re not going to starve or anything, but we
might have to make do with what we have until next
year.”
Marina had actually come into his life at a good
time. If she hadn’t been around, he would still be
scrambling to gather firewood, can fruits, preserve
fish, repair the house, and do all sorts of chores to
prepare for winter. But with her help, all those tasks
were done by noon, which left him plenty of time to
worry about his plans before heading out to sea.
“I don't mind,” Marina replied, leaning against his
shoulder. He really did like the floral scent wafting
from her hair. “I'm not really used to having a lot of
things.”
“Thank the fates for that. But it doesn't mean I
won't try hard to get the best of those things for us,”
he said.
“And what does that mean?”
“Imagine, Marina, how much nicer it would be to
live in a big house.” Caspian laced their fingers
together as he told her about what he envisioned for
their little family. “Or not to have to mend clothes
anymore. To have plates and cups made of glass
instead of clay or wood. And furniture upholstered
with the softest down feathers instead of lumpy bits
of wool and cotton.”
Marina hummed. “That does sound nice.”
“And my sister,” he continued. “She won't have to
work as an apprentice anymore. She can open her
own little tea house in town.”
“Um, Caspian…”
Caspian paused. His wife had squeezed his fingers
tight enough to pull him out of his imaginings. The
gesture made him wonder if he’d said anything that
might have made her uneasy.
“What is it?” he asked.
Marina worried her lower lip as she looked at him.
“You never told me you had a sister.”
Caspian blinked.
 “Oh.”
He knew that he looked like an idiot at the
moment, and he was. In his mad rush to get himself
a wife and carry on with his plans, he’d somehow
forgotten to tell said wife that he did, indeed, have a
younger sister. Caspian would have slapped himself
if Marina wasn’t holding his hand.
And hold his hand she did, even if the
conversation was starting to set her on edge. The
little furrow between her eyebrows revealed the
distress his surprise had given her. “Should I be
worried that she might have no idea I exist?”
“No! Not at all!” Caspian quickly denied this.
“Verna has always hoped that I would marry
someone like you.”
The more he spent time with Marina, the more
Caspian proved his first hunch about her. His wife
had an innocent charm that would bring out Verna’s
protective instincts in an instant. If there was
anything his little sister enjoyed growing up, it was
mothering their friends and acquaintances.
His confident response set Marina at ease.
“Really?”
“If she met you in person, I think she'd approve,”
Caspian said. Then, an idea entered his mind. “In
fact, I'm going to write to her today. Tell her that I
landed the prettiest woman in Cerulean Cove.”
Caspian had never felt more satisfied after seeing
the blush that bloomed on his wife’s cheeks.
“Is it all right if I write to her too, then?” she asked.
“I’ve been practicing my letters. I think it would be
nice if she got to know me from my own words as
well as yours.”
That was another thing he’d only just discovered
about Marina. She knew how to read just like any
other person, but she’d never written anything
before. When he’d asked, she’d said something about
a shortage of parchment in a place where writing
wasn’t a necessary skill.
The existence of such a village had been puzzling
him for days now. That being said, Caspian was
relieved that Marina didn’t live there anymore. The
growing sheaf of scrap parchment she’d plundered
to practice her penmanship on proved just how
much she enjoyed writing.
“I think she’d appreciate that,” Caspian said.
Verna loved exchanging letters as well, so having a
new correspondent in Marina would delight her.
Caspian removed himself from the couch and
headed for the writing desk on the other side of the
room. He had to get a head start on those letters
before leaving for the afternoon. This time around,
he wanted Marina to use fresh paper instead of the
crumpled ones they were saving for the fireplace and
stove.
As he rummaged through the biggest of the desk’s
drawers, though, a hand gently landed on his arm.
Caspian turned to the side, only to see Marina’s
thoughtful expression. She was back to gnawing that
plump lower lip of hers. “Caspian?”
 “Yeah?” He tried his best not to be distracted by
her mouth, but he was failing. He’d enjoyed their few
kisses so much that he’d been waiting for another
chance at doing it again.
Marina’s face, however, hinted that such a chance
wouldn’t come today. “Do you really need the
money?”
Another heavy huff escaped Caspian’s chest.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so vocal about his
frustrations within earshot of Marina. He didn’t
want to worry her or make her think that marrying
him had been a poor decision on her part.
Truth be told, the idea of Marina regretting their
marriage didn’t sit well with Caspian. He’d come to
adore her over their time together, if he had to admit
it. He sincerely wanted that feeling to grow.
Judging from what she’d suggested some time ago,
she also thought there could be more to their
marriage than just two people helping each other
out.
The only way to do that was to be completely
honest with her, even if it made them both worry.
After all, his parents did say that marriage comes
with ups and downs. If his mother and father could
weather through those ‘downs,’ surely he and
Marina could do the same.
“My family has had to make do with so little for so
long.” He straightened up and cupped her cheek. “I
want to have more, given a chance.”
Caspian didn’t tell her about Reca’s role in making
him rethink his worth. He didn’t want Marina to pity
him more than she already did. Besides, his little
sister’s existence was enough shock for the day.
Marina nodded.
“I understand.” She smiled and went on her
tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I believe you can do it,
Caspian.”
“Thank you for putting your faith in me,” he
replied after shaking off his surprise.
By that time, though, Marina was already leaving
the parlor. There was a new spring in her step and a
determined set to her shoulders which told Caspian
that something was on his wife’s mind. He didn’t
know what it was, but he was thankful that it had
wiped away her distress.
Now, if he could only do the same for himself.
 Chapter VII
Even though Marina had decided on what she
must do, the very idea of doing it made her fidget.
Still, she tried her hardest to hide what was on her
mind from Caspian. She didn’t want him to suspect
that her heart was likely beating twice as fast this
morning.
“Do you have everything?” Marina asked as she
helped Caspian load up whatever he needed to take
to the open market.
“Mhm,” the man replied as he secured his wares in
the cart. “Fresh fish in the buckets, dried ones in the
baskets, and change in my pockets.”
His easygoing smile almost made Marina feel
guilty. She supposed she could tell him about her
plan, but she was sure that he wouldn’t hear any of it.
She needed proof that she could do it first, and
maybe then he’d agree.
“Good luck.”
“Don't worry, Marina,” Caspian said. “By the time
I'm home, all these will be long gone.”
“All right.” She had faith that he could do it.
Caspian was one of the hardest-working people she
had ever met, both on land and underwater.
Caspian came to her and kissed her cheek without
fuss. She would’ve blushed if her mind wasn’t
focused on her little secret. “I'll bring home a nice,
fat chicken for dinner. You'll see.”
 Marina wished him luck a second time before
watching him go.
She rushed back into the cottage not long after
Caspian’s cart faded in the distance.
Her husband usually spent a good part of the late
morning and early afternoon going around the
village to sell fish. This meant that she had a few
hours to execute her plan before he came back for
dinner. She hoped to return to the cottage by then.
Marina found a piece of scrap parchment which
she used to scribble her message on. She relayed
how long she might take and what time she might
come back, taking care to emphasize that she knew
what she was doing. Surely her note would reassure
Caspian that she was safe.
The ink from her quill hadn’t dried yet, but she
was already out the door before she could change her
mind. Marina descended to the beach, down to the
dock where Caspian had moored his fishing boat.
After making sure that no one was on the shore or
atop the overlooking bluffs, she loosened the ropes
securing the boat and hopped in.
It wasn’t long before she was paddling away from
the shore as quickly as she could.
Thankfully, the seas were calm and the sky showed
no signs of a coming storm. It would make her
journey to the Mystical Reefs easier. Her sister had
shown her the area before, and together, they’d
marveled over the many sea creatures that had made
their home there.
 Marina rowed along the coast until she felt the
first ripples of magic. She steered Caspian’s little
boat towards what would have looked like a cramped,
empty cave to most humans. In truth, though, an
invisible barrier protected the bigger chamber
beyond.
Marina’s merfolk origins allowed her to slip past
the magical barrier and reach the half-submerged
reef structure.
The cove looked just as it did many years ago. Its
marble-like walls reflected the bright blue light
coming from the water, and its high ceiling featured
a dizzying variety of stalactites. Just beneath the
crystal clear surface grew colorful corals that housed
fish, anemones, urchins, seahorses, crabs, and all
kinds of mollusks.
A giant clam grabbed Marina’s attention.
As soon as she realized that she could get to it
easily enough, Marina stripped down to her
underthings and waded into the water. She didn’t
cast her magical essence on the reef until she was
submerged to the neck. Roughly half an hour passed
before it affected the clam, causing it to open its shell
and show her what she had come here for.
Marina carefully collected the pearl before
retreating back to the boat and wringing seawater
out of her hair. Merfolk thought little of the shiny
trinkets because they were plentiful under the sea,
but she remembered that humans valued them
greatly. She secured it in a linen pouch, then
prepared herself for several more rounds of doing
the same thing.
She collected five more pearls before deciding to
quit. After all, she only had so much essence to spare
before the loss weakened her. With her remaining
strength, Marina set off for their cottage—
Only to be accosted by her panic-stricken husband
as soon as she walked through the door.
“Where have you been?!” Caspian asked. He held
her by the shoulders, as if afraid that she might leave
again as soon as he let go. “Do you have any idea
how worried I was when I found your note?!”
“But I said I'd be back at this hour,” Marina
replied, a little confused. Maybe she wasn’t as good
at writing as she thought she was, and she’d messed
up the note. “I wrote it down.”
“You didn't say where you were going!”
Marina winced. She had purposefully left out that
little fact. Not that she could keep it a secret for long,
because her skin and hair reeked of the salty sea.
Caspian only needed to calmly look at her to deduce
where she had gone.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “I was in too much of a
hurry.”
“And what was so important that you completely
forgot to tell me where you were going?”
That was the opening Marina needed. She pulled
the linen pouch out of her skirt pocket and undid the
strings that kept it closed. Then, she held its mouth
open wide enough that Caspian could peek at what
was inside.
“These.”
Marina watched as Caspian’s eyes bugged out. She
felt his fingers loosen their hold on her shoulders.
They slowly tightened again as the seconds ticked by
and his mind began to process what his eyes were
seeing.
“Marina?” he finally asked, his voice much softer
than before. “Where in the four corners of Cerulean
Cove did you find these pearls?”
His furrowed brow and subtle frown almost
convinced Marina to reveal her secret.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “I can't tell you.”
Caspian’s frown deepened. “They're not stolen, are
they?”
“No! I would never steal from anyone,” Marina
replied. “I know you wouldn’t want me doing that
either. I could never shame you like that, not when
you’ve been so nice to me.”
“Thank goodness for that. And thank you for
thinking of me.” However, he didn’t release her just
yet. “How did you get them?”
Marina hesitated. She could guess how Caspian
would react, but she couldn’t avoid answering him.
He’d been worried for her the whole time she was
away, so it was only fair that she told him at least
part of why she had been gone.
“We used to search for them where I lived. Out on
the sea,” she whispered.
“You what?!”
 “Please don't be angry.” She winced. The last thing
Marina wanted was for Caspian to yell at her again,
even though it was out of worry this time. “I knew
what I was doing. It's something I've done my whole
life.”
Caspian seemed to have remembered his earlier
promise. He shook his head and took a deep breath.
“I can't believe you would go out there on your own.”
“You said you needed the money,” Marina replied,
head bowed. Her shoulders sagged, and not just
from Caspian’s firm yet painless grip. “I figured
searching for pearls while you were out selling fish
would help.”
“Or you could tell me where to look for the pearls
so I could get them myself.” Caspian’s hold drifted
down to her hands. “I don't want you to put yourself
in danger.”
“I can't.” Maybe someday, she would find the
courage to reveal her true self to the man. At the
moment, she was afraid to lose him before she could
even confess her feelings. “Please trust me to do this
alone.”
“Marina.”
“Please,” she begged. She lifted her eyes again,
hoping that he hadn’t run out of patience for her.
“Think of your sister. I can help her dreams come
true, but only if you trust me.”
For a long moment, they did nothing but stare at
each other. They waged a silent battle of wills by the
door. The pouch of pearls hung from their clasped
hands, forgotten in the wake of their determination
to win.
Finally, Caspian wrapped his arms around her.
And although he grumbled his displeasure, he took
care not to crush her or curse aloud. Marina knew
that she’d won when his head slumped onto her
shoulder and his hand combed through her still
damp hair.
“Just be careful,” he murmured against her skin.
“And promise me that you’ll always, always come
home.”
Tears pricked Marina’s eyes as she stroked his
back. She closed them and prayed that he would still
trust her like this when the time to spill her secrets
came. Emotion clogged her throat, making it hard to
speak.
It felt good to have a home. It felt good to stand in
Caspian’s embrace. She never wanted these feelings
to end.
 Chapter VIII
Of all the skills his wife could possibly possess, he
didn’t think harvesting pearls would be one of them.
Even the traveling merchants Caspian knew rarely
had them because they were so hard to come by. But
here was Marina, who came home every afternoon
with four or five pearls for him to sell to the
caravans.
He now knew that Marina wasn’t who he thought
she was. It was possible that he’d completely missed
the mark when it came to her origins. But his wife
remained tight-lipped about it no matter how many
times he asked, so he hardly tried anymore.
“Marina!” Caspian waved his hand when he saw
Marina returning from the beach. “Over here!”
Marina’s face lit up as she waved back. “Caspian!”
He parked his cart on the side of the dirt road
before hurrying towards her. Caspian caught her by
the waist and spun her around as soon as they came
close enough. His heart warmed when he heard her
laugh.
“Someone got lucky again,” he said as he put her
down.
“Really?”
“We sold all our stock, Marina!” Caspian cupped
her cheeks, framing her smile between his fingers.
His voice was rising to unimaginable heights out of
excitement, but he couldn’t care less. “That's two
weeks in a row! We have enough money to bring
Verna back and set up her establishment in town.
We can even start another business.”
Marina’s reply was much more subdued. She
grasped his wrists and looked up at him with her
familiar wide eyes. “What kind?”
“The pearls, Marina,” Caspian explained. “We can
sell them to rich folks, maybe even accept
commissions if we find someone who can craft
jewelry. We'll be swarmed with patrons from near
and far.”
The thought had come to him while he was going
around the market.
Mister Bailey had built a few stalls and apartments
that he rented out to anyone who needed the space.
He’d always wanted to acquire one for his sister’s
future shop. Maybe they could have a second for
Marina and himself.
However, his wife didn’t seem to be as interested
in the idea as he was. “I thought we were only saving
for what we already wanted.”
“It doesn't hurt to want a little more, right?”
Caspian released her face, only to reach for her
hands. “What do you think about a cottage abroad?
Or a brand new wagon with more space?”
Marina tilted her head. “Won't a big wagon be
harder to pull over the bluff?”
“I'm sure I'll manage. I know every dip and turn of
this bluff, after all. Or we can buy a donkey to pull it
for us, if you want.”
 His wife pressed her lips together. “Mm.”
“Marina?” Caspian let go of her hands. It had been
a long time since she replied to him with this kind of
pensive silence. “Hey. What's wrong?”
He wouldn’t force any new changes on her if she
didn’t want them. He didn’t want her to take on a
role that she didn’t like, not when she was already
comfortable drying fish and retrieving pearls. She
only had to say the word, and he’d set his ideas aside
for another time.
A wagon or a little jewelry shop could wait.
“Nothing.” Marina shook her head. “Just tired, is
all.”
Caspian did think that her face was a little pale
this afternoon. Her complexion was so fair, though,
that he hardly noticed the change. But now, he could
see some of her blue veins beneath her wrists and
cheeks.
“Do you want to rest?” he asked.
Marina’s smile returned. It wasn’t as big as before,
but it was a start. “For a little while.”
“Let's go over there.” He took her hand and started
leading her towards a fallen log close to the road.
They both sat down, and he put one arm around her
to make sure she didn’t tilt too far back and fall over.
She leaned against his arm and sighed. They
stayed silent for a long while, just looking at the sun
as it started to set over the calm, watery horizon.
“Caspian,” Marina murmured, “I… I…”
Caspian waited for her to finish, but she didn’t.
The corner of his lips rose at the thought of Marina
falling asleep at his side. She must have worked
herself to the bone, finishing her chores on time and
going out to find more pearls for the day.
He considered carrying her home on his back and
leaving her in her bed to rest. The village sentries
regularly patrolled close to the bluff, so their cart
would be safe from thieves and such. He could
simply return for it after making sure his wife was
safely and comfortably tucked into her bed.
Caspian turned to Marina, ready to move
her—only to stop short at what he saw.
Marina was hardly breathing, and her skin had
lost what little of the pink tinge it had. There were
blue circles underneath her closed eyes. Her lips had
turned violet, and her hair…
He didn’t even know that brown hair could turn
gray so quickly.
“Marina! Marina, wake up! Marina!” Caspian
struggled to his knees and held his wife by her
shoulders. Her head lolled to the side, and Caspian
knew he had to do something. “No, no, no. This isn't
right.”
He did move her to his back. But instead of
heading towards their cottage, he hefted her the
whole way to the nearby village. Caspian had never
been more thankful for years of carrying heavy packs
back and forth along this road.
He had one destination on his mind, and he was
determined to reach it before it was too late. He was
sure that the village’s only apothecary would know
what to do. The woman had cured many people
before with her medicine, even those that were on
the brink of death.
The sight of the brick building and its hanging,
wrought-iron sign didn’t bring Caspian the comfort
he thought it would. He realized that he could only
rest easy after Marina was in the infirmary and being
taken care of. To that end, he marched to the door
and pushed his way inside, making sure nothing hit
Marina’s head.
A bubbly woman with short red hair glanced up
from the marbled countertop. She flashed a pretty
smile his way. “Welcome to Western Village
Curatives. How can we help... Caspian?”
“It's my wife, Sienna,” he answered. He moved
closer to the counter so the woman could get a better
look. “She's too cold.”
He’d felt the change as he was walking to the
village. Marina’s body had been losing its warmth
little by little. He hoped that either Sienna or her
sister could figure out why and stop it.
“To the back, please.” Sienna hurried to a door on
the other end of the medicine shop and held it open
for him. She called into the room as Caspian passed
by. “Orelia! Caspian's wife is sick!”
A taller, more willowy woman with Sienna’s hair
color came down the narrow steps at one corner. She
took one look at Caspian before gesturing to one of
two cots that had been laid out for possible patients.
No matter how much Caspian didn’t want to let go of
Marina, he had no choice but to give her over to the
apothecary’s care.
Orelia started examining every inch of Marina the
moment he laid her down. He stood to the side and
wrung his hands, hoping that the apothecary could
cure her. “Oh dear…”
“What is it?” he asked, moving closer to the cot as
soon as Orelia began clicking her tongue.
Orelia looked up at him, her brows furrowed. She
bit the inside of her cheeks, making her narrow face
look almost gaunt. “We'll need to make Blue Elixir,
and lots of it.”
“What in the world would I need it for?” Caspian’s
forehead wrinkled. Nobody he knew needed Blue
Elixir to get better because it wasn’t even… even
intended for… humans…
“Your wife is—or was—a mermaid, Caspian. One
who's losing her life force very quickly.” The
apothecary’s voice seemed to come from afar.
Caspian could barely hear her due to the thoughts
buzzing in his head. “That’s why I need to make Blue
Elixir to heal her.”
At that moment, everything made sense. Marina’s
ethereal, almost otherworldly appearance. Her
elusive answers and her ability to collect pearls like
magic. Her wonder at even doing the most mundane
tasks that her kind wouldn’t be able to do
underwater.
He’d married a mermaid.
 No. That’s not quite right.
To be more precise, he’d fallen in love with a
mermaid. One that was going to die if he didn’t do
anything about her situation. The thought of losing
her before they could clear the air, before he could
tell her he loved her, chilled him to the bone.
“Will twenty gold coins suffice?” he asked,
reaching into his pockets and pulling out all the
small linen pouch he'd filled over the week. Caspian
was glad that he hadn’t left their money in the cart.
Orelia held her hand out, but Sienna clamped her
wrist before it could reach the pouch. The woman
stared pointedly at her sister. “Orelia?”
Caspian pushed the bag of jingling coins into
Orelia’s hand anyway.
“Please! You have to save her!” He turned his gaze
to Sienna. Caspian didn’t care that tears were likely
to fall from his eyes at any moment. “I can't lose my
wife!”
Sienna’s pinched expression wavered. “Orelia, you
know it's not nearly enough.”
“Please!” Caspian insisted. If he had to kneel, he’d
go down on his knees without question. “It's all I
have!”
Thankfully, Orelia wasn’t the kind of person to
turn anyone down. The apothecary gently pried her
sister’s hand away before pocketing the linen pouch
he’d handed over. “I accept.”
Caspian could have fainted then and there. The
relief that washed over him made his knees so weak
that he had to lean on the cot’s headboard for
support. Not only did it keep him on his feet, but it
also made him feel more connected to his sick wife.
“Orelia?!” Sienna scolded. “You—”
The apothecary held out her hand. Her piercing
eyes silenced her sister before they softened upon
glancing at Marina. “We have to help her, Sienna.”
Caspian knew that this was no small decision.
According to one traveling merchant, Blue Elixir
contained some of the most expensive ingredients
for any concoction. The miracle medicine was made
exclusively for severely ill beings with merfolk blood,
something that rarely occurred in Cerulean Cove.
“Thank you.” He knew that he’d just lost all the
money for their new wagon, their summer cottage,
and every extra luxury he wanted, but Marina was
worth more than all of these. She was his life.
 Chapter IX
Marina woke up to a different ceiling and an
unfamiliar face.
At first, she thought she was dreaming. But when
the woman at her bedside dabbed a damp towel at
her temple, she felt its moisture. This let Marina
know that something had happened.
The last thing Marina remembered was feeling
terribly tired and sleepy while watching the sunset
with Caspian. She’d tried to hide it from him, but she
succumbed in the end. Now she wondered what had
transpired since.
“Who are you?” Her voice came out scratchier
than usual. “Where's Caspian?”
The red-haired woman paused her ministrations
and smiled. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Marina.
My name's Orelia, and this is my infirmary.”
“You're a healer?” Marina couldn’t stop her
wavering tone even if she tried. If Orelia managed to
heal her, then she must have discovered what she
really was.
“Of sorts. Most people refer to me as the village
apothecary,” Orelia replied. She set aside the towel
she’d been holding, then stood up to shake out her
crumpled skirt. “Caspian brought you here when he
realized you weren't feeling well. Should I tell him
you're awake?”
“Yes, please.”
 Marina scanned the room as soon as Orelia closed
the door behind her. The infirmary’s sickroom was
bigger than her bedroom at the cottage, but it didn’t
have the same ambience. It didn’t have her
husband’s colorful quilts and nick-knacks, and it
didn’t smell of pine and the sea.
Even her clothes were different now. Her white
peasant blouse and fawn-colored skirt had been
replaced by a pale lemon nightdress decorated to the
hem with ruffles. She preferred the plain white
variety that she’d bought after marrying Caspian.
Marina knew that she had to face him sooner or
later. He deserved to know the full story now that
Orelia had probably told him part of it. Plus, she
would feel safer in this strange new place if he were
with her.
The door opened, and Caspian walked in like she
hoped he would. His eyes lit up as soon as he saw her.
“Thank goodness you're awake.”
“Caspian…” Marina couldn’t believe the tender
expression on his face. She had fully expected him to
not even look her straight in the eye after technically
lying to him.
He continued to contradict her assumption by
rushing to her side and sitting as close as possible
without disturbing her. “How do you feel? Do you
need anything? I'm not sure what mermaids do to
get better, but I'll try my best to work it out.”
“You know.” She expected him to, of course, but
she hadn’t counted on him bringing the subject up so
soon. Then again, Caspian had a habit of being
blunt.
Her husband nodded. He reached for her hand
and held it tight. “Orelia told me after examining
you.”
She gulped. Marina would have liked to tell him
herself, but maybe this was for the best. It might
have taken her years before she could even suggest
the idea that she wasn’t human.
The only con to this was that she now had to
explain her actions. “You don't mind that I'm... I was
a mermaid?”
“Marina, you can be any otherworldly creature on
this continent so long as you're alive and unhurt.”
Caspian started stroking the back of her hand with
his thumb. “The truth is, I’m relieved that you’re not
actually a mistreated runaway who’s being followed
around by someone dangerous.”
Marina’s jaw dropped. No wonder he hadn’t
pushed her to talk about her past or forced her to go
anywhere on her own. She didn’t realize until then
that he could perceive her situation that way.
Her husband had been protecting her from
reliving some past experience that never even
happened. He’d been keeping her away from a
danger that wasn’t even real. If she didn’t already
know his true character, this revelation would have
won her over.
“You're not mad that I didn't tell you?” she asked.
Caspian sighed, but he didn’t let go of her. He bent
forward so that he could lean his weight on his
elbows. “I'm flabbergasted, but we can have that talk
another time. Right now, I want you to get better.”
Even though it was late afternoon and pretty deep
into the season, there was just enough sunlight
passing through the glass window to illuminate
Caspian’s features. The bags under his eyes and the
shadow that he usually shaved in the morning
proved just how much her sickness had affected him.
He must have missed quite a few fishing trips just to
stay close to her in case anything happened.
“Thank you.”
Caspian returned her smile before cupping her
cheek with his other hand. His eyes searched hers.
“How did you end up like this anyway?”
“It was the pearls,” Marina admitted. She might as
well start revealing the truth now that she’d regained
a bit of her strength. “I went to sea and found some
giant clams, then used my magic essence so they'd
grow the pearls faster. It almost drained my life
force.”
Her husband frowned. The rest of him, though,
retained the calm, protective aura she’d come to
associate with him. “You promised me you wouldn't
put your life in danger.”
“I know how much you hate being looked down on,
so I wanted to help.” Marina went on a tangent
about how the oracle’s apprentice had revealed part
of his dilemma to her while he’d been preparing to
harvest those vegetables from the shrine. She
explained that the apprentice’s words about needing
wealth and prominence had stuck. “I don't want you
to keep thinking that you're unworthy or unlovable
to anyone.”
“If it means you have to put your life at stake, then
you can forget that,” Caspian said after listening to
her words. “I don't care what anyone thinks about
me anymore. I care about you.”
“Even if I'm a mermaid in a human body?”
“You're not just a mermaid to me, Marina.” He
moved closer to her until their noses nearly touched.
Marina had never seen him look more serious than
he did now. “You're my wife, and I love you. It
almost took me losing you to realize that.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. She wasn’t expecting
his softly spoken words to affect her so deeply, but
they did. Marina nearly teared up from the sudden
surge of joy she felt.
“Caspian, I... I love you too.”
Their lips met gently, and Marina knew right then
that everything would be fine. They loved each other,
and their long, lingering kiss was just one of many
ways they could show the other how they felt. The
bands that adorned their entwined hands would stay
in place until the end of their days.
Caspian broke away from her first, but only after a
few more kisses that made her toes curl. “You have
no idea how good it feels to hear you say that,
Marina. If only I could take you away sooner.”
Marina’s cheeks warmed as a new thought entered
her head.
Things had changed. They weren’t in this marriage
out of convenience anymore. Their vows had taken
on a new meaning.
“Does this mean that I get to share your room
when we get home?” The scenario didn’t sound bad
to her at all. In fact, she looked forward to sleeping
in his arms every night, where she felt safest and
most loved.
“It’s our room, but only if you want.” The rosy
color that must have dotted her cheeks bloomed on
Caspian’s face as well. She couldn’t ignore his
reaction, not when they had admitted their feelings
for each other just now. “Actually, we were going to
have to share it anyway. My sister will be coming
home someday, and she’ll probably take over our
spare bed once that happens.”
“If it means I can stay with you, I don’t mind.” She
was definitely going to get better as quickly as she
could. Marina didn’t want to spend one more
moment away from him.
“As for finding pearls, though…” Caspian said. “No
more, all right? We’ll find some other way to help
Verna and make our dreams come true.”
Marina blinked. At that moment, she recalled her
trek from the beach, just before Caspian spotted her
from the road. Something had been on her mind that
time, but the man had spoken about his success in
the village before she could say what it was.
“You know…” Marina tried to sit up but only
squirmed her way further down the cot. Thankfully,
Caspian figured out what she was doing and helped
her adjust her position. “I actually wanted to tell you
something before I blacked out.”
Caspian righted the pillows behind her before
helping her lean back. He gave her one more kiss on
the cheek for good measure. “What did you want to
say?”
Marina squeezed his hand. Any more kisses, and
Caspian would have successfully distracted her from
their conversation. She was barely fighting the urge
to throw her arms around him and kiss him back.
“I wanted to say that I’d thought of something
other than pearls to collect.”
 Chapter X
A starry twilight sky and rolling waves capped
with foam greeted Caspian as he made his way back
to the bluff. The thin layer of snow covering the dirt
road squelched under his shoes. He was glad to
finally be going home so he could get out of the cold.
He stomped his shoes on the cottage’s stone steps,
then he opened the door and deposited his empty
baskets beside it.
Hurried footsteps rushed from the next room over.
A heart-shaped face with the most beautiful smile
Caspian had ever seen peeked through the doorway.
“Welcome back!”
“There you are.” Caspian walked over to his wife
and embraced her. “It feels good to be home.”
Marina wrapped her arms around him, then drew
back to point to their parlor alcove with her thumb.
“I drew the bath for you. I figured you'd be tired after
a day of hard work.”
A warm bath sounded heavenly on a chilly day like
this. He needed it after going back and forth from
the cottage to sell first the dried fish, then the
winnowing baskets and wreaths Marina had made.
Luckily, a traveling merchant had taken one look at
the baskets and offered to sell them through the
caravans.
The great thing about Marina’s having been a
mermaid with long hair was that she’d honed the
skill of braiding and weaving other materials.
Marina’s new idea wasn’t as lucrative as her
previous one, but he preferred it more than the other.
She didn’t need to use her essence to gather pine
needles. There were so many of those things littering
the nearby bluffs that Marina would have to stay
overnight if she wanted to gather them all.
Thankfully, his wife had no plans to work for that
long. She would always be around when he came
home, often working on the last weaves of a basket
or preparing dinner. And sometimes, like tonight,
she’d be laying out towels for a bath.
“Join me?” Caspian asked as he shed his coat and
threw it over the nearby couch.
Marina beamed as she unlaced the knot securing
her skirt and kicked her shoes from under her feet.
“Can you wash my hair?”
It wasn’t long before they were soaking themselves
in the tub, surrounded by tendrils of steam from the
warm water. Marina sat on his lap, sighing blissfully
as he combed his fingers through her soapy hair. She
leaned into his touch, and he rinsed her off before
putting his arms around her.
“How did your day go?”
His wife looked over her shoulder and smiled.
That alone told Caspian that her day had gone well,
which pleased him. “The sun was out, so the laundry
dried quickly. And the winds weren’t as brisk as
usual, so I managed to gather plenty of pine cones
and needles from the next bluff. I boiled the needles
the way those instructions in your sister's book said
to.”
“Excellent.” He helped rinse the rest of her as she
turned around. “Please make sure to keep your word
and stay far away from the edge. I don’t want you
diving into the water.”
“You do remember that I used to live in the sea,
right?” she said as she returned the favor. “I may no
longer be a mermaid, but that doesn't mean I can't
swim anymore.”
Caspian raised one brow. Marina had told him
about her past in the days following her recovery.
She’d been wary of revealing too much at first, but
he’d assured her that nothing was going to change
between them no matter what.
In his younger years, he might have shunned her
because of her origins. But he was a grown man now,
with enough sense to understand that Marina was
the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Caspian couldn’t imagine himself or anyone else
turning her away.
“You can't breathe underwater now, though.” He
helped her out of the tub and put a towel over her
shoulders.
“I swear to always be careful.” She smirked at him
before tapping his nose. “Half a mile at least, like I
promised.”
He rolled his eyes. As long as she still followed his
request, he could tolerate her jabs about his
overprotective behavior. “Any word from my sister?”
 “Oh, yes.” Marina handed the towel back to him as
soon as she’d finished using it. “She's coming over as
soon as she can.”
Her flowery scent tickled Caspian’s nose. She was
much more suited to the fragrance than he would
ever be, and he liked that. So much so that he drew
her into his arms as soon as he finished toweling
himself dry.
“Are you excited to meet her?”
“Yes.” She pressed closer to him. “She was very
kind in her letter.”
His body came alive as soon as it felt her softness.
The heat of their water seemed to have seeped into
his veins. Caspian lightly ran his fingers over
Marina’s spine, making her shiver.
“You really are beautiful.”
It was Marina who rolled her eyes this time
around. But no matter how hard she tried to hide her
delight with the gesture, her blushing cheeks still
gave her away. “You say that all the time.”
“Because it's true.” Caspian nipped at her shoulder,
enjoying the tiny, barely audible gasp she made. “I'm
so lucky that you married me.”
His wife giggled. “I think it's the other way
around.”
“We can argue here all night about which one of us
is luckier,” Caspian said, “or we could do something
else.”
He waggled his brows, making Marina giggle even
more.
 The woman shook her head, then led him away
from the cooling tub. The light from their fireplace
cast Marina’s soft flesh and playful smile in a
tantalizing orange tone. “What do you have in
mind?”
“Kissing,” Caspian said as he followed her to the
bedroom.
“Just kissing?”
“Maybe more.” He shut the door behind him, then
gathered her into his arms. He peppered her lips and
neck with kisses until she moaned. “Can we?”
He didn’t have to ask her twice. They tumbled into
bed, nearly knocking off all of their pillows in their
haste. Their legs would have tangled in the folded
quilt if Marina hadn’t brushed it aside in time.
Their bedroom wasn’t any bigger than the spare
one Marina used to occupy, but he liked it that way.
It was cozy enough, and it had a wide window with
wooden shutters and glass panels that let the light in
on sunny days. He’d moved their bed directly
beneath it because Marina loved waking to the
sunshine every morning.
Marina clutched his hair as he explored her body
with his lips and tongue. “Caspian…”
“So soft and sweet,” Caspian murmured. This
wasn’t the first time they’d made love, but it always
felt like that.
He loved hearing the sounds she made whenever
they came together. Loved teasing and tasting her
until she cried out his name. He loved every touch
she returned, every kiss she pressed against his skin.
Marina hummed beneath him. Her lashes,
weighed down by pleasure, opened when he
returned to her neck. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” Caspian smiled.
It didn’t matter how long or how short he was
gone for the day. It didn’t matter if they were making
love or busy doing other chores around the house.
He simply wanted to be with her for as long as
possible if she welcomed it.
He was lucky that she welcomed it all the time.
He reached for a ribbon by the headboard and
pulled on it to draw the curtains it was tied to.
Moonlight poured from the window, landing on
Marina’s pale body and making it glow. Caspian’s
hands returned to her as soon as he saw the sight.
Marina arched her back when he traced a line
from her neck down to her navel. Every sigh she
made was music to his ears. “What are you doing?”
“I want to see you.” He settled between her legs,
then clasped their hands together. “I want to see the
beautiful expressions on your face. The way every
inch of your skin flushes with pleasure.”
His words alone made that flush appear on her
body. She looked so beautiful with those rosy cheeks
and wide eyes that he just had to kiss her again.
Their lips barely parted as Caspian loved her the way
she liked best.
“Caspian!”
His passion only rose every time Marina uttered
his name. She would make these short sounds of
pleasure whenever he moved, so he always did his
best to draw them out. She was always so responsive
and so pliant in his arms that he himself found it
hard to hold back.
Every time he pressed into her, she clenched
around him so tightly that he nearly lost his breath.
She closed around him harder and harder, until she
bowed and fell back against the sheets, ready to
receive the last of his thrusts. He found his release
not long after she did, calling out for her as
passionately as she had.
Afterwards, Caspian tucked Marina against his
side. His wife laid her head over his beating heart.
He combed through the locks of hair on her head,
never getting tired of how smooth and feathery they
always felt in his fingers.
At some point, he would have to get up and start a
fire. He didn’t want Marina to catch a chill and have
to go back to the infirmary again. He wanted her to
be hale and healthy, especially now that they might
have conceived their first child.
“Hey,” Caspian whispered after his breath evened
out. He waited for Marina to look at him before
speaking again. “Do you ever miss your old home?”
Marina’s eyes twinkled in the moonlight. She laid
her hand over his heart, and he placed his palm atop
it to keep it there. Her lips curved in a slow, satisfied
way that put all his doubts to rest.
“You were always my home too, Caspian,” she said.
“I lived in the sea, but I think a big part of my heart
was always here.”
END
 Thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to
acquire and read this book! If you enjoyed this
story, please make sure to leave a review on
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Happy reading!
 Ann Sepino
Fairy-tale fantasies for the heart.

Ann Sepino is an independent Filipino author

who loves all things Fantasy Romance. She
enjoys creating the perfect happily ever after
for her knights-in-distress and
damsels-in-shining-armor. Her inspiration
comes from the fairy tales and folklore of her
childhood, as well as her interest and
experience with local culture. One of her best
titles, Tribeless, was influenced by these very
elements.

To view more of Ann's books or stop by and say

hello, feel free to visit her at:

annsepino.mystrikingly.com

facebook.com/asepinobook
 Want more?
This is Ann’s book list as of December 2022.
You can visit her Smashwords and Books2Read
pages to grab these titles.

Fairy Tale Romances

Tilula, Current Affair, Knightly Serenade

Tropical Romances

Daemon Bound, Sans War, Tribeless

Holiday Romances

Merry Winters, Yule Kingdom

Eternal Romances Series

After Eternity, Choosing Eternity

Fairy Tomes, Cerulean Cove Series

Marina, Orelia

Flutterfae Brides Series

Florette, Crimsonella

Jinn Shifters Series

Catwished, Leopardized

Other Titles

Nihilist